Soul of Hatred
by ShatteredHeart98
Summary: Poor Cloud has fallen down the ranks after failing a mission. Fortunately for him, Zack wants to help bring him up again, so he takes him on a secret mission. But is this mission too much for the pair to handle? More is at stake then just a ranking!
1. Failed Mission

**Soul of Hatred**

**Chapter 1: Failed Mission**

Gunfire and screams rose to the top of the hill from below in a frightening echo that would send a chill through any SOLDIER, be that a trainee or one of the highest in ranking. Unfortunately, the warriors that fought below at the bottom of the cliff were only of the lowest ranks and the enemy was indeed a terrible challenge. Their leader, a man named Darrell, yelled out commands to them in desperation to keep them all alive as they struggled against the smaller of the hounds that plagued the green fields in a wild assault.

Atop the hill stood Cloud, a young aspiring SOLDIER who would give anything to become exactly that. To become a SOLDIER was his hearts desire, and every rank he rose to filled him with more hope, yet the lack of confidence was becoming a problem. He wished for his dream to come true so much, yet he doubted it somewhere inside.

The young man stared down at the battle below him and as he saw his fellow comrades frightened faces he was thankful that his role in the mission demanded him to be away from the enemy.

Amongst the smaller hounds was the leader, a giant savage canine that looked more like a bear as it raised it's head and let out an ear-shattering roar. It's bright yellow eyes darted around the group as the noise ended, but its mouth remained open in a menacing snarl that crinkled up its nose and revealed rows of bloodstained teeth. Battle scars decorated its thick brown coat, which proved the legend true. It really had been the killer of many of the other beasts in the fields.

Cloud readjusted himself where he lay on his stomach on the grass. It had been almost an hour of waiting for him, and he still had not received the orders to act from Darrell. It was up to him to finish the beast once and for all with a Shinra missile launcher. It stood beside him, a large mechanical gun loaded with the powerful projectile. The weapon cloaked him in its shadow and he hoped it hid him from the savage leader of the pack that would probably tear him apart if it saw him.

He took in a lungful of air to calm his nerves. Ultimately, it was him who would decide the outcome of the battle and that demanded a lot of responsibility. The fighters below were growing tired and injured from the fangs and claws of their enemy, but they made sure the giant beast was suffering just as much.

"Soon," Cloud whispered to himself. He turned his head to the side to see Darrell protecting the people at the back of the battle that were being worn down incredibly fast by a dying wave of the wild dogs.

"Come on Darrell, they will fall apart without the leader," Cloud growled under his breath in irritation. Almost immediately he regretted the emotion and bit into his tongue. His fear would be the ruin of the operation if he was not careful.

Finally Darrell seemed to read Cloud's mind and turned to face him. All he needed to do was give Cloud a quick nod and he was on his feet. Exhilaration replaced apprehension as the he jumped behind the machine and grasped the metal handles on the sides. With another deep breath, he aimed it at the ferocious monster that towered over all others at the bottom of the hill and prepared to fire.

Darrell fired wildly at the smaller targets that raced towards him and his band of trainees. The trust he held in Cloud was strong, but he had a nagging tug in the back of his mind. After embedding another bullet into the chest of an approaching canine, he glanced up at Cloud.

What he saw turned his blood to ice.

Cloud was oblivious to the fact that he had not prepared the missile-launching gun correctly. The safety shield that covered the front hole where the missile would shoot out was still covering. He did not see Darrell waving his arms around and could not hear his panicked screams until he had already spotted the perfect opportunity and launched the missile. He paled as he realised the warnings, but it was too late.

An explosion that almost defended many of the troops below rang throughout the area. The grass was flattened to the ground as the machina power burst from the inside of the machine. Cloud had been thrown metres across the grass and found himself slamming into the grassy slope of the hill on the opposite side of the battle. He only managed to open his eyes until he had hit the ground one final time and slid to a rest on even earth.

It was there he lay and stared up into the sky groggily. Everything seemed to wave and dip this way and that. The sound of running footsteps reached his ringing ears and he managed to sit himself up.

Several hands helped him in this simple action, but none of his fellow beginners gave him any comfort. He knew that he had failed them, and couldn't bring himself to face them.

Dread clutched at him as Darrell's face appeared in front of his own. "Strife, are you okay?" His voice sounded genuinely concerned but Cloud had picked up the hint of anger.

'I am in so much trouble,' he thought dismally as he was led back towards the trucks that would transport them to the Shinra Base.

For the first time, he wanted to be anywhere other than there where Darrell's wrath would be unleashed.


	2. Damaged Dream

**Chapter 2: Damaged Dream**

Back at the headquarters, Cloud and the other members of his group headed into the medical room where they could heal their wounds and rest up to re-gather lost strength.

The others were calm, but Cloud was the complete opposite. He sat alone on one of the beds and rested his head in his hands. He knew what was coming. Darrell had yet to punish him for failing the mission, and he knew that it was serious. There was no excuse for what he had done.

During the ride back to the base in the trucks, Darrell had sat in silence beside Cloud. Though he himself was staring at the ground most of the time, he knew that Darrell was staring at him, no doubt deciding what to do with him once they were back in Midgar.

Having no idea what awaited him was what was killing the poor youth the most.

The sound of the glass door sliding open forced everyone in the room to look up immediately, and seeing that it was Darrell they were all on their feet.

The grim faced leader passed through the group of men and women until he reached Cloud who was standing as still as he possibly could and even had his fist resting against his chest as though showing extra respect would lessen the impact of whatever punishment lay in store.

It seemed that Darrell realised what Cloud was doing. He smiled in amusement and shook his head. "Come on," he said simply to him, then turned on his heel and walked back towards the door.

Without hesitation, and knowing that being slow was one of the things Darrell hated the most, Cloud followed with quick strides, though his face made it clear that he wanted nothing more than to crawl beneath one of the beds and hide away. As he passed through he could have sworn that some of the others gave him encouraging smiles, but it did not help to calm him.

In fact, it just made him believe that things really were as bad as he had suspected because they were trying to give him hope.

Nothing good would come from his mistake.

Darrell led Cloud into his office in silence. It was bare apart from a desk that held a computer and many pads of paper. A bookshelf stood against the usual white wall and against the opposite wall was a grey cabinet.

With a heavy sigh, Darrell collapsed into his black chair behind the desk and clasped his hands together. "Strife, I hope you know what your actions could have caused back there," he said as he raised his gaze to Cloud who was still standing.

"I did, sir!" Cloud answered with a convincing nod of his head.

Darrell leaned forward and rested his hands on the top of the desk. "Well, let me remind you. Your comrades fighting that terrible beast at the bottom of the hill could have lost their lives. I would not have allowed them to fight it to the death like that. I needed something to finish it off once it had been weakened, and that was your responsibility." He paused and looked down at his feet for a moment. "Strife, this is bad. You should have made sure that the machine was completely ready. You could have blown yourself to bits, not to mention the rest of us!"

Cloud stayed completely still, not sure of whether to acknowledge with a nod or words, but Darrell began to speak again before he could decide.

"The damn beast ran off at the explosion and was lost over the hills. The injuries it sustained would not be enough to kill it, so another mission will have to be set to hunt it down, and it is more of a hassle than you know. Do you know what it is like?"

"No, sir."

"I didn't think so… There is still the matter of punishment for this failed operation, and I'm afraid it will be severe. I hate to do this to you Strife..."

Cloud's heart was beating so fast in his chest he was afraid it would burst. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he saw the pained look in Darrell's eyes, and for a moment he could predict his next words.

"Strife, I'm sorry," Darrell began, tapping his nails against the desk. "I know how much to wish to become a SOLDIER, but you'll have to wait longer for this dream to be met."

Tears welled up in Cloud's eyes. He knew what was coming.

"Strife, I'm transferring you to a another group. You will be lowered to the second ranking. I don't think you are ready for the serious battles that lie in this rank, so I have to lower you by four."

It felt as though a brick had plummeted in Cloud's stomach. His blood ran cold and he lowered his head as a fresh tear fell. It took years to get to the sixth ranking, and he was so close to becoming a SOLDIER. "Please sir…" he almost whispered.

Darrell sighed and looked up at Cloud sadly. "I'm sorry Strife. I really am," he said before turning his attention back to the ground. "You are dismissed."


	3. Sorrow

**Chapter Three: Sorrow**

The weather was no kinder to Cloud as he trudged through the streets. Sheets of rain descended over Midgar and darkened the city. Everywhere, people were filing out into buildings to escape the terrible conditions and Midgar grew quiet.

Feeling more alone then ever, Cloud found he could finally think without being distracted by others passing by and staring at his uniform that reflected his profession.

Anger flared up inside of him as he remembered Darrell's words. He bit his tongue as tears filled his eyes and threatened to fall. He knew that he had done wrong, but bringing him all the way down to the second rank was a terribly harsh punishment, especially for one so young and wanting to become a SOLDIER much more than many of the other novices.

Up ahead someone ran along the path towards him. They were too far away for Cloud to identify, so he hung his head lower to hide his teary eyes.

"Hey Cloud!"

He looked up as he realised that the stranger was Zack and stopped in his tracks as the black haired man reached him.

"Hey, just taking a bit of a stroll huh?" Zack asked as he planted a hand on Cloud's shoulder over the round armour plate.

Cloud nodded simply, then hid his face again. He didn't want Zack, a first class SOLDIER and his best friend, to know that he was further from his goal. It was then when he realised that the small amount of confidence he held onto before was now completely gone.

Zack became concerned about Cloud's silence. "What's wrong?" he asked as he pulled his hand away and tried to look at the young man's face.

With a depressed sigh, Cloud looked up at Zack and managed to say in a shuddering voice, "I failed the mission. Darrell sent me back to the second ranking." That pushed him over the edge. Tears started to run down his face and he clenched his teeth in frustration.

"Oh…" Zack was shocked. He knew how much Cloud wanted to be a SOLDIER like him. It was his ultimate ambition. He himself would have been distraught if the same thing had happened to him when he was in Cloud's ranking.

"Okay, tell me what happened," he said soothingly.

It took some coaxing, but finally Cloud retold the story. He made himself sound like a fool and Darrell like an evil beast, but Zack figured it they were exaggerations.

In an attempt to comfort him, Zack ruffled Cloud's hair and smiled at him encouragingly. "It'll be okay Cloud. You watch. This way, you will be more than ready when you reach the sixth ranking again and you'll show the others!" He finished by punching the blond in the side of the chest playfully, but he simply stared back with saddened eyes.

"I'm going to the trains to think," he said simply before walking around the surprised Zack towards the place he often went to discuss things with himself.

Zack knew that he could do nothing more, so he simply watched his friend go before heading back towards the Shinra Base where he was to see if he had any missions.

It pained him to leave Cloud like that, but he thought it better that he took the time to try and sort things out for himself.

The pain would eventually numb.


	4. Plan for Redemption

**Chapter Four: Plan for Redemption**

"So what have you got for me?"

Zack entered the briefing room with a smile on his face, though inside he was still worried for Cloud. Kunsel was there like usual and looked straight up as Zack entered and called the question out to the leaders ahead in the main room.

"There are no new missions at the moment," Kunsel informed him as he walked over, his expression hidden mysteriously behind the helmet he always wore that covered most of his face.

"Damn," Zack muttered, crossing his arms. He had been hoping for something to distract him.

Kunsel simply shrugged at the man's distress. "Why don't you go on some smaller missions while you wait if you want to fight something that badly. It would only be like a simple workout to you."

"No, I wanted a real mission," Zack whined as he clenched his hand into a fist and held it out in front of him as a sign of triumph. "Something to get the heart pounding!"

With a sigh Kunsel turned away and walked over to the large pods that lined the wall of the room. "Well you'll have to wait," he said as he ran his hand along the smooth surface of one. "You know, we just got in a new stock of items for these babies," he said with a smile. "They'll be needed soon, when that cave becomes an exploration mission."

There was silence as Zack paced the room, not having really been listening to Kunsel's words, for he never seemed to stop speaking, but as the words sunk in he froze mid-step and turned to the young seconds class SOLDIER. "Wait, what did you just say?"

Disappointment gripped Kunsel as he turned to Zack with a pout. "You should listen to what I have to say more often Zack. Remember, I helped you get to where you are with my little pointers and scraps of information."

Zack lowered his head. "Sorry man," he muttered, then lifted his head again hopefully. "Mind if you repeat it?"

With a sigh, Kunsel gave in and began explaining. "A few days ago the sighting of a cave up in the Snow Mountains was reported. No one had gone in there, but they have marked it on some of our maps." He pulled out his own small map device and motioned for Zack to do the same with his. "I'll send it to you," he said, pressing a few buttons.

A moment later there was a small beep and a red spot appeared on Zack's map image that was shown on a small rectangular screen. "Wow," he gasped as he stared down at it. "So what does it mean if they have started to update them into our map system?"

Kunsel smiled. "It means you won't have to wait long for a mission," he said before turning off his own device and clipping it back onto his belt. "But I haven't heard a word of it, so who knows how long it will take them until they decide it's safe enough to send out a team."

Zack fell silent as he thought about the mission. He held a thumb against his chin and stared at the ground, then an idea burst to life in his mind. With a gleeful yelp he launched himself at Kunsel and pulled him into a hug.

"Whoa, what the!?" Kunsel yelled as he tried to free himself from his strong friend's tight grip.

"Thank you!" Zack said happily as he ran from the room and out of the base to find Cloud.

It didn't take him long to find the saddened youth sitting on one of the benches in front of the train tracks. He stared at the ground in silence and didn't even look up at the sound of footsteps.

"Cloud?" Zack called quietly, a smile forming on his lips. "I have some good news for you."

The blonde didn't even look up. He knew that there was no way Zack could have returned him to his previous ranking, so what news could he possibly have that would cheer him up?

Zack was a little taken aback at his best friend's behaviour and pretended to be insulted. "Fine," he said, turning his back to him. "I won't tell you about the mission that could bring you back up in the rankings."

This caught Cloud's attention.

"What?" he gasped as he jumped to his feet. "Seriously? What is it?"

Zack laughed and turned back to face the excited young man. "So now you want to know, huh?" He placed his hands on his hips and pretended to think about it for a moment teasingly.

Cloud waited patiently, but could barely contain himself.

Finally, Zack returned his gaze to his friend and grinned. "Well I guess I could tell you," he said with a laugh. "Kunsel told he that a cave was just discovered in the Snow Mountains and he thinks that it will soon become a mission to explore it because the leaders have started to plot it on ours maps. I think that if we got a head start now and found something really good in there, you can get your ranking back up."

For a moment, Cloud was overcome by happiness, but then he got to thinking and found a negative. "But, Zack… What if there's nothing up there?"

Frustration flared in Zack at his companion's ability to bring his feelings down. "Look, a cave like that doesn't just turn up out of nowhere. I'm telling you, there's something in there."

Cloud was finally satisfied. "Okay," he said with a nod. "Let's do it, but…" He paused for a moment. "You won't get in any trouble for this, will you?"

Zack shook his head and pat Cloud on the back. "Don't worry about it. I'll say I took you out training on my own to try and get your mind off of the… mishap."

Cloud smiled. He truly was lucky to have Zack for a best friend and was about to thank him, but Zack repelled it before he could begin.

"Don't worry about it," he said before pulling him along. "Come on, we have to go and find some transportation. I don't think we'd make it there anytime this year by walking."


	5. Forbidden Mission

**Chapter Five: Forbidden Mission**

It didn't take long for Zack to find a truck driver in the Slums to take them.

The man was desperate for money, and the price that Zack mentioned caused him to faint. He was a large man that wore rags for clothes and both looked and smelt as though he had not washed for weeks, but he wore a kind smile, especially when he came to and the price was repeated, this time more carefully by Cloud.

Once the truck had been supplied, Zack and Cloud said their goodbyes to everyone.

Whilst Cloud headed back into the main town to speak with some of his own friends, Zack stayed in the Slums to explain to Aerith where he was going.

At first she was reluctant. "What if you get hurt?" she asked almost immediately.

Zack shrugged. "I could get hurt on ay mission. What's the difference?"

"This cave hasn't even been explored." She turned her back to him, the bow in her hair making him fell guiltier for leaving her like this. "What will I do without you visiting?"

Zack sighed and wrapped his arms around her middle. "Aerith, I'm doing this for my best friend," he whispered into her ear. "It's crushed him, so he needs this to boost his spirit again. I promise, I'll be fine. I will come back to see you after a few days. That's all we'll need."

This seemed to calm Aerith down, for she spun around, hugged him as tightly as she could, then allowed him to go, though not without some reluctance that she could not hide.

Once Cloud had returned, the pair left the main gate of the town and clambered in to the back of the truck. The driver, whom they found out was named Pailis, seemed excited to be travelling up into the snowy region as it was his first time, and was even more excited to find that he was transporting a SOLDIER. He started the truck as soon as they were ready, and they headed off into the desert.

The journey grew long and there was little entertainment apart from staring at the barren surroundings. Zack started to hum to himself, then found that it irritated Cloud, so he started to talk with his young friend instead, despite the fact that he seemed nervous about the mission they were embarking on.

"So who did you say goodbye to?" he asked, hoping it would be enough to get Cloud talking. He wanted to calm him down, so even if he refused the answer, he could keep asking questions.

Thankfully, Cloud didn't seem to mind. "Just some other trainees at the base that I befriended, but they didn't seem to care too much after the failed operation." He lowered his head a little. "I told them I was staying with a friend in the lower areas for a while to think about things."

Zack nodded and smiled at the lie. "Good one."

The truck bumped up and down along the rough desert road, but it was beginning to change into lush green fields. Soon they would turn off to the rocky region, then to the snowy areas that built up into the towering mountains in which their destination lied.

Zack sighed and relaxed against the small side wall of the truck. The warm weather beat down on him and left him feeling comfortable enough to close his eyes and rest the back of his head against his hands.

Cloud stared at the man's calmness in awe. "Zack, aren't you scared?" he asked after a few moments.

A smile spread across the SOLDIER's face. "Not really. I get used to missions that could easily result in my end. It takes a while, but eventually you can train yourself to stay calm and collected." He opened his eyes and glanced at the blonde. "But you on the other hand…"

Cloud lowered his gaze. "I'm afraid. I admit it."

He buckled to the side as Zack pat him on the shoulder with a powerful hand. "Don't worry, I won't let you get hurt," he said, though he presumed Cloud already knew this. He gave him an encouraging smile, then turned his head to gaze ahead at the desert that seemed to go on forever. Parts were covered in grass now, and some trees had found life in the earth. It wouldn't be long until they would be driving amongst the rocks.

"So how's Aerith?" Cloud asked, hoping to start another conversation. Talking seemed to calm his nerves and he started to wonder if it used to help Zack out when he was in the lower ranks and heading into a mission.

The black haired man shrugged. "The same as usual. She wasn't happy about this mission, but I brought her round." He smiled. "I really like her, you know. She still says odd things about going on dates with me like she's still deciding if she actually likes me, but I think she's starting to realise that she really does." He paused for a moment, thinking. "You know, maybe it's her way of joking around."

Love was an empty place inside of Cloud. He didn't know the feeling well, so it was hard for him to understand the red shade Zack had turned and the demented smile on his face.

"How are things back there?" Pailis called as his head poked out of the window so he could check on the pair in the back.

Zack gave him the thumbs up. "Great!" he answered, and Pailis disappeared back into the truck. Obviously the excitement of the trip was getting to him seeing as he checked up on them every ten minutes.

There was silence for a few minutes as Zack took a drink from his water bottle. The temperature was beginning to rise, but he was grateful that soon they would be in cooler conditions.

"So tell me about the missions you go on," Zack said as he laid the bottle beside him. "What sort of things do you get to get up to?"

Cloud shrugged. "Well, we recently had to track down some wild birds in the forest that were almost as big as dogs, and sometimes we get to travel through here," he said, waving his hand around to show that he meant the desert. "There are plenty of fights here, especially up in the higher parts." He paused for a moment, trying to think of something else, then smiled as he thought of a story. "I remember once when we had a new guy with us named Jek. He was pretty cocky and ended up straying from the group when our leader refused to let him track down the beast himself. An hour later of searching we found him terrified and teary eyed in a small crevice in the side of a mountain, cowering away from the target that turned out to be no bigger than a cat."

Zack burst into laughter along with Cloud, despite the rough conditions that forced them to jerk around in the back of the truck. If anyone had gone past, it would have looked as though they were having fits.

"Wow," Zack gasped as he finally calmed. "I guess that guy didn't last long then?"

"Three more days."

Zack smiled and clapped Cloud on the side of the shoulder. "At least you get some laughs with your missions," he said with some sadness. "Mine have been serious of late, and it's no fun without another friend to fight beside."

Cloud beamed. "Well, the Snow Mountains await both of us."

A smile across the older man's face. "Maybe now I'll be able to relive the fun I used to have on missions. Were going to have one hell of a time, regardless of what happens."

His young companion nodded. "As long as we don't bring down the mountains, I think I'm up for some fun."


	6. Mysterious Visitor

**Chapter Six: Mysterious Visitor**

Snow buffeted against Cloud's uniform as he struggled against the small blizzard. Up ahead he could dimly make out the form of Zack. The cold began to sting his eyes, so he lowered them and followed the deep tracks left in the snow beneath him.

The SOLDIER found the trek easier than Cloud. He had been trained to ignore the cold and the snow, and his strong legs stepped easily through the thick white mass that surrounded him.

Towering mountains stood around the pair, reaching up towards the light grey sky. It seemed that a storm was coming, and that meant a bigger blizzard. Zack knew this information well, so he kept his eye out for some sort of protection.

Minutes passed and he found what he was looking for. A giant crack that slithered up along one of the nearest mountains and would provide them with the safety they needed, so he called out to Cloud behind him and motioned towards the area.

Seeing what Zack was pointing to, Cloud almost fainted. How was he expected to make it all the way across the snow and through the blizzard to that? But he saw he had no choice as Zack hurried towards it. He could not be left behind, so he had to follow.

Because of his skill, Zack reached the crack first and saw that it was deep enough to create a room like cave where it started at the bottom of the mountain. He rushed inside, away from the snow, and looked out to shout encouraging words to Cloud whom was having trouble.

Finally, the youth reached the safety of the fracture in the mountain and Zack pulled him inside with ease. "There you go," he said as he sat his companion down and dropped a blanket onto his head. "How was that for a welcome into the mountains?"

Cloud pulled the blanket from his head, which caused his spikes to fling up, and glared out at the weather. "Not the best I've had. Is it going to pass soon?"

A fire was quickly lit for warmth and Zack immediately started pulling out food for them to eat. "Not by the looks of the sky," he said honestly.

"So we just wait it out in here?"

"Looks like it."

The two best friends ate their food in silence as the weather indeed worsened outside. Snow blew in the entrance occasionally but did not reach Zack and Cloud who were near the back where the crack ended.

The lack of speech was driving Zack mad. "So what do you think so far? Still game for finding this cave?"

Cloud was thrown off by the rough conditions, but was willing to go on for his rankings. "Of course," he said, glancing up at Zack. "I'm still a little nervous though. I haven't been here often, and when I did the conditions weren't as bad as this."

"They aren't _that _bad. Anyway, it adds to the adventure."

"Adventure? Almost being buried in snow is adventure?"

Zack laughed, the sound echoing throughout the cave. "Yeah, something like that."

A smile spread across Cloud's face. 'One day, I'll be able think like that,' he thought.

The flames on the firewood flickered as a sharp burst of wind blew in. Eerie shadows were cast across the walls as everything began to darken, but neither companion seemed uncomfortable. On the contrary, Zack lay back against the cool stony floor and stared up at the ceiling and Cloud hung his head down and closed his eyes as a wave of exhaustion washed over him.

"Cloud?" Zack suddenly called.

The blonde jerked to life. "Y-yeah?"

There was silence for a moment before Zack spoke. "Did you just hear something?"

Having heard nothing, Cloud stated so, but shivers ran down his spine at the thought that something may be watching. He shrugged deeper into his blanket and glanced out at the blizzard outside that had worsened.

A moment passed and nothing outside of the mountain stirred, but a moment later something appeared that made Cloud yell out.

Zack was immediately on his feet. "What? What happened? Did you touch the fire?"

Cloud was also on his feet and stared back at the SOLDIER in confusion. "What? No, no." He struggled to recall the words he was going to say until they lined up in his mind again. "I-I saw something. Out there," he explained hurriedly, pointing out to the cave entrance.

Zack stepped towards the opening and pulled his sword from his sheath. Cloud grimaced at the sound of metal sliding along metal, hoping it would not arouse the creature before pulling out his gun from its place at his side.

"Can you see it?" he whispered.

"What exactly am I looking for?" Zack asked as his muscles tensed.

"A shadow."

Zack nodded and stepped closer to the outside. When he was at the very brink he glanced out, but saw nothing. With a sigh he stepped backwards into the cave and shrugged at Cloud. "Probably just a wild beast. Don't worry, its gone."

Cloud nodded and stared towards the campfire, but his mind begged him to take another look. He quickly spun his head around and jumped back as he saw the shadow again, this time standing in the cave entrance.

A strangled cry of surprise burst from Zack and he jumped to his feet. He rushed to Cloud's side with his sword in his hand again and stared at the shadow that was in the form of a person.

Thinking them harmless because they were human and not a beast, Cloud took a few steps forward and clipped his gun back to his belt. "Hello," he said simply in a calm voice.

The person trembled a little as though acknowledging his welcome, then stepped forwards to be illuminated by the light.

It was a girl of only about twelve years of age. She was tall and thin, and wore ragged clothes that barely hung onto her limp form. Her eyes were a dark blue and covered a little by her long black hair and her face was thin and pale. She smiled briefly at the pair.

Zack smiled back and stepped towards her, then kneeled down to her level. "I'm Zack, and this is Cloud. What's your name?"

It took a moment for the girl to answer, but finally she replied in a dry voice. "Kisa." As soon as she had spoken, her smile turned cruel and she looked as though she was about to rip them apart.

Cloud and Zack stumbled back at the sight and readied their weapons again. She was no innocent girl. It seemed the mountains had turned her savage.

Kisa cocked her head to the side. "Don't you like me?" she asked in a fake sweet tone. She did not smile this time as she spoke. "That's okay, I don't like you either." With one swift movement she threw back the long ragged cloak that billowed behind her and revealed a set of gleaming knives hanging at her side.

"Whoa!" Zack exclaimed, readying his sword. "What the hell?!"

Kisa made no other movement. She simply stood there, staring at the pair. They would have thought she had died on the spot, but she gave a sudden jerk and turned to look outside again.

Cloud shot a confused glance at Zack who had no clue what she was planning either, but she was already gone, lost in the blizzard outside.

Finally being away from the psychopathic girl, Zack leaned forward with his hands on his knees. "Wow, that was creepy," he muttered.

Concern for the young girl tugged at Cloud's heartstrings. "Should we leave her out there?" he asked in a worried voice. "She is only a kid, and I doubt she could really hurt us… She was probably just afraid."

Zack pulled himself back up again and nodded. "I suppose so," he said with a nod. "We'll wait for the weather to get better, then go out. It would be suicide for us to go out there now. She probably has a place to stay that's nearby."

With a heavy sigh, Cloud sat back down on the ground again and looked into the flames of the campfire. "That was definitely not what I expected on this mission," he pointed out as he flicked a small stone across the ground.

Zack gave an effortless nod, but was deep in thought. He had the oddest feeling that she was connected to the cave, though he had no idea how. One thing was for sure though. He did not want to cross her again.

He, unlike Cloud, did not think she was harmless. No normal human carried such a deadly array of knives at their belt in the middle of a blizzard.


	7. Bloody History

**Chapter Seven: Bloody History**

It took some hours for the blizzard to finally die down. It left layers of snow covering the ground and had even created a small wall along the bottom of the cave entrance. Shards of ice clung to the mountains and snowflakes blew in the gentler wind that carried the snow through the air like waves in an ocean.

Cloud and Zack continued their journey in the calmer conditions, thankful that the blizzard was barely even that anymore. The visitor Kisa was nowhere in sight, and Cloud could admit that after seeing her weapons he was not sure he thought it unfortunate anymore.

"I do hope she's okay though," he admitted as he and Zack passed a small group of stones that jutted out of the side of a mountain, a bizarre sight.

Zack nodded. "Me too, but I don't think anything fortunate would come of us meeting her again."

A deep roar forced the two to freeze in their place and ready their weapons. The sound echoed through the air, reverberating off the mountains. They could not see the source of the sound, but they sensed it was approaching.

"Get ready Cloud!" Zack called out to the youth who was a few feet away from him.

His hands shook on the gun as he nodded in Zack's direction. 'It can't be any worse than what I usually have to fight, can it?' he thought as he squinted in the white cloud of snow that blocked his vision.

As the disturbance got closer their figure was just visible ahead. From what the two companions could make out, it was a four-legged beast with long fur that waved in the wind. As it became clearer they could see that it was white like the snow but black stipes ran down from the outline of its spine. It had a dark grey snout that revealed lines of jagged teeth as it opened, and small yellow eyes peered at the two males in front of it as they prepared for battle.

"Here we go!" Zack yelled out with some excitement as he launched himself at the beast. Cloud followed behind him, firing a line of bullets over his friend's shoulder. He pulled off to the left as Zack leaped into the air and straightened his sword out over his head.

The creature roared at Cloud as bullets thundered towards it. They ripped into its flesh, but barely seemed to harm it as it simply shook its head, a thick layer of hair waving around its face, then caught a glimpse of Zack flying down towards it with his sword ready to slice through flesh.

"Take this!" he screamed, but his expression of joy that battle always printed on his face turned to shock as the beast threw itself up at him and wrapped its heavy paws around his back. He yelled out as the claws sunk into his flesh, but was silenced as the pair slammed into the ground.

"Zack!" Cloud screamed out as he lost sight of his best friend in an explosion of snow, but a moment passed and both Zack and their enemy wrestled out of the snow.

Through the terror and desperation to escape the beasts clutches, Zack lost the grip he had on his sword and the next thing he knew it had been knocked metres away from him.

"Cloud!" he yelled out as he found himself in a second tight embrace. The life was being squeezed out of him by the beast. It growled in his ear and he turned his head to find its mouth wide open and about to snap shut around his head.

There was another loud crack as Cloud fired and blood exploded from the creature's snout as the bullet hit. With a strangled yelp it jerked back and released Zack whom was straight on his feet and running towards his sword.

A brief thankful smile was passed to Cloud as Zack slid in the snow and scooped up his sword. He bolted back towards his target as Cloud reloaded his gun, and started slashing away at the beast. He danced around to all sides, dodging bites and parrying swipes as he enraged the giant animal.

Cloud crouched low to the ground behind a small spiked rock that rose out of the snow near a mountain and made sure his gun was ready before tyring to think of a plan. The bullets seemed to be damaging it very little, and Zack didn't seem to be doing much better with his sword. The animal had a good defence, and drastic measures were called upon to break through.

Slowly, he lifted his gun up and stared at the trusty weapon. "I can do this," he whispered to himself before throwing himself into a roll from the rock and screaming out as he ran towards the beast at breakneck speed.

The wild sound coming from his young friend caused Zack to pull away from the enemy to see what had possessed his companion, but he had barely any time to even glance over at him before the blonde threw himself straight into the beast and slammed his foot into its face.

Its head jerked back and Cloud landed on its shoulders where he fired down at its flesh wildly, then as it turned sharply he gripped it tightly around the neck and held on as tightly as he could. The wild animal began running through the area madly from shock, then headed straight at Zack.

Fear struck the SOLDIER and he had to dive to the side, but kept his sword outstretched and managed to slice the blade through the creature's leg in a single swift attack. It tripped and tumbled to the ground and Cloud managed to lift his gun to its head and shoot straight into the flesh.

This time, the bullet threw its target to the side and Cloud was thrown in the opposite direction where he hit the ground hard and slid to a stop through the snow.

Everything went black as he lay there with his eyes closed, and for a moment, he was back at the bottom of that cliff where everything had gone wrong.

"Strife!" he could hear Darrell yelling out. "Strife! Strife…"

"Cloud!"

He opened his eyes as he realised the voice belonged to Zack. The man was kneeling above him with concern on his face. "Cloud, you okay? You blacked out for a minute."

Slowly and carefully Cloud sat himself up shook snow from his spikey hair. "I did?" was all he could mutter in a stunned voice.

Zack nodded. "Yeah. You did hit the ground pretty hard." He paused for a moment and studied the expression on his face for a moment. Clearly, it worried him, for he asked again if he was okay.

Cloud nodded his head with reassurance and pulled himself to his feet. "I'm fine, just a bit groggy," he explained. Slowly he lifted his head to see if the beast was really dead and froze in shock as he saw the bloodied mass lifting itself from the ground.

"That was fantastic back there Cloud! I never would have…" Zack trailed off as he saw Cloud's expression. "What?" He turned to follow the young man's gaze, but it was too late to act. Their stubborn enemy slid clumsily along the ground and hit the pair, and they were all sent through the air where they fell for what seemed longer than possible before hitting the brick-like snow.

Cold. Everything was cold. Limbs too pained to move, face covered in snow, heavy… Everything heavy and cold.

Zack began to awaken in this state, half frozen and unable to move from the pain. With the fragment of strength he still held, he managed to turn his head to the side and was shocked too see the familiar mass of white fur beside him, stained with crimson blood.

To his relief it didn't move. The last of its life had been used to try and kill himself and Cloud.

Cloud! Was he dead? Where was he?

The question forming on his lips was answered as the blonde form of Cloud appeared above him, a potion in his hands. "Here, drink this," he instructed softly as he held the bottle to Zack's lips.

The cold, sweet liquid was welcomed as it slid down his throat and he found himself gaining strength with each swallow. Finally, he was completely fine and jumped to his feet.

"Wow, that was some fight," he muttered as he began to perform a series of squats to regain warmth. Beside him, Cloud seemed astounded at something.

"Aren't you even going to look at where we are?" he asked, pointing to the scene that lay behind Zack.

The man turned lazily, expecting nothing but more snow and mountains, but he jumped back at the sight. A large village that had been burnt almost to rubble stood around them. The wood was as black as the night, and no signs of life were visible. Only piles of ash that Zack suspected were the villagers. Bile built up inside of Cloud's mouth as he realised and he had to run a few metres back to vomit.

Zack winced at the sight and lowered his head. "It's terrible," he whispered. Anger flickered inside of him and he raised his head and clenched his fists. "Who the hell would do something like this?!"

Cloud reappeared at his side. "Someone sick," he answered.

A gently wind blew past them, carrying the last of the blizzard before the snow began to fall calmly.

"Let's go," Zack said with some anger, and he started to walk forward towards the destroyed home. Cloud was in his shadow, staying behind to attack any other unexpected 'visitors.' After the surprise battle before he couldn't control his nerves.

There was not a single stir in the small village as they passed through. It would have been beautiful. A water feature was in the centre of the snow-covered cobbles beneath their feet, the water frozen to the very core. Debris covered the path amongst the ash piles as though some of the houses had been blown to pieces as they burnt. Small bones could be seen in the black masses on closer inspection, and the wind grew colder as though signifying the many deaths.

"This is disturbing," Cloud almost whimpered from behind Zack. He stepped up to his side and tried to avoid looking at the destruction around him. He continued to stare at the path ahead of them that twisted between that two mountain walls at either side.

Seeing this, he glanced back and making another realisation he stopped in his tracks. "Umm, Zack? I don't think this place was meant to be found."

Shivers ran up Zack's spine as he turned to his friend. "What do you mean?"

Cloud pointed to where they had fallen. "Look."

The stony wall of a small cliff stood behind them and Zack understood almost immediately. "We fell into this. Of course. These people were hiding… but why?"

"Beasts?" Cloud suggested.

Zack shook his head. "They wouldn't have had such a large village without protectors that could fight them off. No, it had to be something bigger."

"Maybe there is a bigger animal out there."

"I hope not… if it did this."

At the same time, both Zack and Cloud realised the same thing. They stared at each other, faces filled with shock. "The cave!" they cried in unison.

"Of course," Zack added, lowering his head. "If they are both linked, then this is bigger and more dangerous than we first anticipated."

For the first time, Cloud caught a note of real fear in Zack's tone, and he didn't like it at all. It completely drained him himself of all confidence and terror struck at his heart.

"It might not be as bad as we think," he said in a small voice. It was really a question, but he knew that it would make him look weak in front of the SOLDIER, so he held it back.

Zack nodded and gave him the thumbs up, but really, he was not confident at all. If it could destroy an entire village like this and turn the people to piles of ash with barely any bones left, imagine what it could do to two single fighters. With a hidden shudder, he continued through.

Cloud stayed behind, not thinking he could cope. He had been trained to see things like this, but knowing that whatever caused it was almost certainly their target, he could barely stay standing. He lowered himself to a squat and ran his hands through the snow beneath him as his mind wandered. 'Maybe this wasn't such a good idea,' he thought miserably.

"Cloud!"

The urgency in Zack's voice forced the young man to his feet and he was immediately racing through the wreckage until he found Zack standing in one of the burnt houses. The floor was still there, though many holes covered it and the floorboards creaked as Cloud picked his away around the metre long gaps.

"Look at this," Zack demanded as he handed a small black book that had suffered almost as badly as the house.

As Cloud opened the book, most of the pages disintegrated and the small fragments fell to the ground.

"There," Zack said, pointing to the back cover which Cloud flipped to. He was surprised to see writing there that was barely visible through the damage, but he managed to read it all.

**If anyone is reading this, then our village has been attacked by the Dark Wings of the Snow Mountains, and we have all perished. **

**This is the testimony of her existence. The lonely girl turned evil by the hatred that burnt in side of her. She was born alone in the wilderness of this land, and her hatred for the world grew until she could hold it back no more and fell into insanity and rage. It plagued her like a sickness that could not be cured and all we could do was watch and pray for her.**

**Years passed and she found her first and only companion, a wild beast born alone, just like her, but even her compassion for it could not overcome her cruelty and she enslaved it as her destroyer. **

**We named the beast Dark Wings after seeing it rise to the sky and block out all of the sun's light with a simply stretch of its pitch wings. It was trained in a valley by the girl, and one day we sent one of our own to try and bring her back here so we could try to help her.**

**Three hours later the young man returned, half burnt and beaten to death. Before collapsing into death he told us all he knew. Her name was Kisa and she was training her beast, a dragon kind, to destroy the world she hated so for turning its back on her. We buried him and left our home.**

**For years we have hidden here, but now it is all over for us. Nothing can escape the inferno of the Dark Wings, but we only hope that Kisa can be helped before more people are killed. As long as her and her Dark Wings gain power, no one is safe.**

Cloud stared down at the writing and read through some of it again many times before looking up at Zack who wore a grim face.

"'No one is safe,'" he repeated as he closed his eyes, his dark hair becoming ruffled by the wind as though a power inside was being unleashed. The effect passed as he opened his eyes and looked close to tears. "Midgar… Aerith…"

Cloud nodded and raised a fist. "We have to stop her. She saw us last night, so she will probably want us out of the way which means as long as we stay here and search for her, Midgar is safe."

The small speech shocked Zack, and a smile broke across his face. "I've taught you well," he muttered as he pat his companion on the head, then flicked one of his spikes playfully. "Alright, let's get to it then."

With a brief nod, Cloud ran out of the house and headed towards the narrow twisting path that led deeper into the mountains at the edge of the village.

"We'll avenge their deaths," he said to Zack as he appeared beside him. "And we'll put a stop to her plans, whatever they may be."


	8. Perilous Route

**Chapter Eight: Perilous Route**

The path was longer than Cloud and Zack had expected. It winded through the mountains like a confused snake before rising up in a steep slope to the centre of the larger peak where it spread out like a highway.

"This is more like it," Zack muttered as he bounded over the edge of the slope and ran across the rocky path.

Behind him, Cloud was slowed by his lack of energy, and was thankful as Zack decided they would stop for a rest when saw his companion's sweaty his sweaty face.

Once sitting at the edge closest to the mountain wall Zack began to converse with Cloud as they ate their food.

"You know, I had a feeling that crazy Kisa girl would end up being connected to the cave," he explained as he drank heavily from his bottle.

Cloud lifted his head from his meal. "It all makes sense now, especially with those knives at her side. I wouldn't be surprised if she uses them to 'teach' her little dragon friend."

Zack nodded and leaned back against the rocky wall, somehow finding it comfortable. "Yeah, the Dark Wings thing… What a comforting thought, knowing that something like that is stalking around your completely torchable wooden home with a psychopathic little master at its side."

"I wonder why they didn't flee…"

Zack shrugged. "Probably too scared that she would catch them. She would have a heck of an advantage being able to fly all around on its back."

At his words, Cloud glanced up at the sky, half expecting to see her and her dragon. "Yeah, very comforting…"

Hours after the break the pair found themselves trudging through a wide-open field. Pointed shards of ice jutted out of the snow and the grey skies roared with life above as thunder rolled in the distance.

Zack had been weary of taking this route, but after checking his map he saw there was none other. Mountains that were perilously unclimbable covered the rest of the area and only broke off into safer area beyond their destination. They weren't far now. They just had to pass through the field without being spotted, climb another mountain that was just stable enough, cross to the next and walk around to the cave that was near the top.

All Zack could think about as he walked was the danger they had been in back at Midgar without even knowing. He hated to think what would have happened if they had not gone on this mission, and was starting to think it some sort of act of destiny.

Cloud's voice broke through his thoughts. "Beasts!"

Ahead, two deer with spiked horns and ear splitting screeches frolicked, and as they began to realise they were not alone in the area, they froze and turned to face the intruders.

"Damn," Zack muttered as he pulled out his sword. The red hilt sat easily in his hands as he let the tip rest in the snow. "I was hoping to get through here easily."

Cloud shrugged as he held his gun steadily in his hands and was about to speak when the nearest deer beast screeched. The sound tore through the air and as soon as it reached their ears it was as though it was right beside them. Pain ripped into their heads and Cloud fell to his knees where Zack still stood.

"Alright, now I'm pis-" He broke off as the deer gained a sudden burst of speed and slammed into the SOLDIER with a loud thwack.

Droplets of blood trailed through the air in front of Zack and he looked down to see two small holes in his chest where the deer had stuck with its pointed antlers. Rage flooded him and he flipped himself in the air until he landed on the ground, and then flung himself forward towards his target.

Meanwhile, Cloud had regained his balance and fired at the second deer that raced around him and managed to avoid every bullet. Growing frustrated and dizzy, Cloud reached out and slammed his fist into the face of the deer.

It landed with a heavy thump, but with surprisingly fast reflexes it springed back to its feet just in time to avoid a good shot from Cloud.

"Damn!" he grunted and turned to face his target.

The deer seemed to sneer at him before racing forward with such a speed the youth was forced to throw himself to the ground. He raised his gun and fired wildly into the shadowy figure above him as the sun shone overhead and to his relief blood showered down. A moment later the deer hit the ground again and lay still.

Blood splattered against Zack's face as he slid his blade through the deer's side, then ducked as he nearly received a sharp kick in the head for his efforts.

The enraged deep swiped at him with its antlers and Zack had to parry as though it were a sword. He blocked an attack to the throat, then the chest, then the head and the stomach in a vertical attack. With a great yell he shoved the beast back, jumped to the side and let his sword slice through its ribs as it lunged forward. That was the last move it made as it fell to a crumpled heap.

"Ha!" Zack yelled gleefully as he stabbed his sword into the ground. "How was that?"

Cloud laughed and placed a hand on his hip. "Not bad," he admitted before looking longingly towards the end of the field. "Now let's get going. I don't feel comfortable here."

Climbing up the first mountain that left the ones they were heading for in shadow was easier than they had expected, and they even found deep scores in the earth, no doubt from the Dark Wings dragon.

The sign brought fear to the pair despite the fact that they were definitely on the right track, but they continued on, knowing that it was not only a ranking that was at stake now.

Another blizzard had begun to blow against them as they reached the other side of the towering spire, and this brought new danger as they realised the way to the opposite mountain was to cross a rickety bridge that was many metres long.

Zack knelt down at the beginning of the bridge and stared down at the wood. "It doesn't look very stable," he said, pointing out the obvious as he straightened up again.

Cloud sighed and stepped forward. "I'll go first," he offered in a saddened voice. "After all, it was my fault that caused me to fall in the rankings."

He was not happy with the idea, so Zack tied a rope around Cloud's waist and held the other end. "Now if it breaks you won't fall," he explained. His nerves seemed to be getting the better of him as he found himself being the teacher of the most obvious facts.

A small laugh escaped Cloud. "Yeah, and smash my face against the side of the cliff," he pointed out with twisted humour as he stepped towards the first wooden plank held up by the swaying ropes.

Zack hadn't thought of that. "Uhh… no, you'll be fine," he said, realising that there was nothing they could do. "Just make sure you hold your feel out when you fall so your boots can protect you."

The nagging reminder of peril remained with Cloud the entire time as he took slow, tiny steps across the bridge. At times the wood creaked terribly and he feared it would fall, but some parts seemed stronger than others.

Finally, he made it across and untied the rope so he could hold it as Zack tied his own end around his middle.

"There you go!" Cloud yelled out as he saw the man was ready. "Your turn!"

After a long, deep breath to calm himself, Zack shuffled onto the bridge and slowly began to make his way across through clenched teeth and tightly closed fists.

As though to challenge him further, the wind picked up and threw the bridge from side to side. Zack started to slow down and concentrated on stepping on the stronger looking wood.

Thankfully, his strategy of standing on the darker coloured pieces paid off and he made it to the end.

"Phew!" he gasped, wiping sweat from his brow. "That was hard."

Cloud nodded. "It was probably set up by Kisa to stop people from crossing. Most would turn away at the sight of it," he said.

Zack straightened up and looked down the wall of the mountain to try and see the cave.

It took him a moment to see it through the white mist of snow, but moments passed and his eyes fell upon the dark opening in the wall.

"Come on," the SOLDIER said with surprising confidence. "Let's go."


	9. Writing on the Wall

**Chapter Nine: Writing on the Wall**

The inside of the cave was not what the pair had expected. Light spilled from bright red and orange crystals that grew from the ceiling and left eerie shadows to creep across the walls as the intruders passed. The rock was a deep blue and in some areas a stormy grey. The further they walked, they realised that some parts of the rock were scorched to a charcoal colour and crumbled at the touch. Pools of water lay amongst the rock formations that rose from the ground where small jagged crystals covered them like moss.

After examining the entire entrance area both Zack and Cloud thought it rather beautiful in a twisted way.

"It's quiet wide in here," Cloud pointed out as he turned in a circle to see everything there was around him. "But I suppose in order to fit a dragon in, it would have to be, huh?"

Zack was too busy examining the crystal formations on the nearest rock to notice. He pressed the palm of his hand to the precious stones and felt the pointed ends prickling against his glove. A moment later he yelped and jump back in surprise as a sudden heat radiated from the gemstones like they had caught fire.

Almost immediately Cloud was at his side with his gun ready. "What?" he asked hurriedly. "What happened?"

"Damn crystals!" Zack muttered as he kicked the stone sharply. "They're like fire."

Not wanting to see for himself, Cloud backed away and turned to face the darkness ahead, having the sudden feeling that they were being watched. "I don't like this place," he finally said in a grim voice.

Zack growled in frustration as he rubbed the part of his hand that was visible through the singe holes in his glove. "I agree there."

Further into the cave more of the strange burning crystals and rough stone walls led the way to a long hall that descended up stone steps. It continued upwards into the dark as the crystals that provided light began to disappear. Some lay shattered on the stone steps, and others seemed to had lost their light.

Soon the pair were plunged into complete darkness, but a small line of tiny crystals showed that there was a turn. As they followed the trail and turned off to the left they found a dim light in the distance, illuminating the small row of steps they had to climb until they reached the top and found themselves in another large room that had been carved out from the stone walls.

More of the light giving crystals and the ones that burned terribly covered the room, and the mess of stones on the ground seemed to line the edge of the room, leaving the centre safe to cross with ease.

Foot deep water rose to the step that the pair had to walk off, and they slowly and carefully placed their feet into the water. It was warmed by the burning crystals that shone from beneath if they had not found refuge on a stone or wall.

Though there was still no sign of any threat, a dangerous air hung in the room and ensured Zack and Cloud did not take a single minute to relax. They kept themselves at the ready, muscles tensed and weapons close as they stepped through the water as quietly as it allowed.

After a few moments a small scuttling sound caused Cloud to freeze and throw his gun into his hands. He pointed it wildly at the wall to the left, but a gloved hand fell upon it and pushed it down.

"Don't shoot!" Zack ordered as he pulled his free hand away, the other releasing the grip it had around the hilt of his sword. A smile spread across his face as he nodded his head over at the wall. "It was just a bat. There ware a few over there in a little family. You'll frighten them."

Feeling embarrassed, Cloud shoved his gun back to his belt and stared down at the ground. Zack pat him on the back comfortingly and made his way to the door that led deeper into the cave.

"Come on, lets-" He froze and stared at the wall to his right, a look of shock covering his face.

Cloud followed his gaze and saw nothing but a mess of sharp rocks, but as he took a few steps closer he saw that words had been carved amongst the stone.

There was an eerie silence as the two friends tried to make out the words. Cloud was the first to intemperate the rough writing and read it aloud to Zack whom was having trouble:

**Darkness has claimed the world in its tight clutch and refuses to release it. My dear enemy. My dear mother. **

**I was left alone when you turned your back on me, and it will be you that bleeds. Me and my beloved will burn you in the flames. Cleanse you. Heal you.**

**We will not stop until you have payed for leaving me out. You will be ours, and none will treat us like you did ever again.**

No words were exchanged between Zack or Cloud for many moments until the confused thoughts that plagued Cloud became too much.

"Kisa wrote this?" he asked, knowing the answer already. "So the dragon, the Dark Wings, is her 'beloved'?"

Zack simply shrugged. "I guess so. And the flames… She plans to burn everything…" He stared at the ground sadly as pain twisted itself inside of him like a coiled snake, ready to strike. He clenched his fists at the thought of what would come if they failed.

In a gently, calming voice, Cloud said, "We'll beat her, don't worry. We won't let this happen."

After giving a small nod, Zack ran his hand along the writing. "You know, I kinda feel sorry for the girl. The hate she holds inside for the world that left her with nothing must torture her every day."

"This wall must be like a diary for her," Cloud decided as he took a step back as though frightened. He turned to face Zack. "Come on, we should go and find her and her dragon before they find us."

Zack pulled away from the wall with a saddened sigh and started to follow Cloud towards the exit. He glanced back towards the writing one last time as he reached the hole in the wall that led to a higher level.

"Cleanse the world," he muttered, repeating what he had seen written. He cast his gaze up to the ceiling, and then closed his eyes. "I hope we can change this," he said quietly before stepping back and disappearing into the darkness.


	10. Mission Completed

**Chapter Ten: Mission Completed**

A deep throaty growl welcomed Zack and Cloud as they found themselves stepping into the final room of the giant mountain. With fast beating hearts they entered, prepared for anything. Thankfully, no pain or darkness came to them. Instead they found themselves staring at the outline of the dragon, hidden in the shadows, and Kisa, standing in the centre of the room.

A wicked smile spread across her face and her dark eyes flicked up to the pair, switching from one to the other with excitement. "Welcome," she said in a voice that was almost a hiss.

Zack removed his sword from its sheath and gripped it tightly in front of him, ready for battle. "Cleanse the world with your flames will you?" he asked in a deadly calm voice. "What about the people that had nothing to do with you being left alone?"

The smile was removed from the girl's face almost immediately and as replaced with a scowl. "Well that's just it. They had nothing to do with me. No help came. No one came…"

Cloud shook his head and stepped forward, his gun loaded and in his hand. "You let yourself fall into hatred and sorrow. You abandoned hope and left yourself here."

"How dare you!" Kisa suddenly screamed. "How dare you blame it on me! I was forgotten by the world and now it will be punished!"

Behind her, a burst of flames lit up the darkness and revealed the dragon, Dark Wings. Its scales were a golden brown and it's eyes a wine red. White spikes protruded from its back and trailed along its tail and neck. On it's back were the black wings that had given it the name Dark Wings, and equally pitch black patterns spiked across its face then joined along the snout where small flames burst from its nostrils. Rows of jaws were revealed as it opened its mouth and unleashed another torrent of fire, then rose to its feet and stamped over to its possessor, Kisa.

"Whoa!" Zack yelled at the sight of the dragon. He pulled his sword closer and stared into the blade, thinking of Aerith and Midgar. That was where he drew his strength.

Beside him, Cloud's breath was coming out uneven and panicked. He struggled to hold onto his gun as he stared at the enemy, completely fear struck. He had not expected anything like this on the mission.

Ahead of them, Kisa swiftly ran had arm through the air and conjured up a bright red gemstone the size of her head. It had appeared out of nowhere, and she cradled it in her arms, and then stepped back to the side of her dragon.

"This stone," she said, raising it into the air for Zack and Cloud to see. "This stone is what feeds my dragon with the hatred I feel. It gives me total control, and as long as I hold it, you can not possibly prevail." The same evil smile she wore before was back on her pale face. "You know I can not let you leave. Your knowledge of our very existence is too much. You will die like the others at that pathetic village!"

The possession Kisa held on her dragon was strong indeed, for as she screamed out her last words, her dragon roared so loud small rocks from the ceiling crashed from the ground.

"Damn," Zack muttered as he was forced to jump back, narrowly avoiding having a rock embedded in his head. Instinctively he glanced over to Cloud and had to shove him to the side to save him from being hit as well. The force of the shove forced the pair to the ground, and the dragon took its chance.

A burst of flames tore through the air and headed straight for the pair, but Zack grasped Cloud around the middle and threw both the youth and himself back behind a small wall of broken rocks that had fallen. They hit the hard ground with a painful thud and water splashed up around them.

For a moment, the wetness that Zack was feeling made him think he had split his head open. He pressed a hand against the spikey black mass of hair and pulled it in front of him, happy to confirm to himself that it was only water.

"Zack?"

Cloud had been pulled from his dazed state and managed to pull himself up into a sitting position. A moment later Zack had to pull him back down in the knee deep water to avoid being burnt to ash as another sea of flames burst towards them.

This time, the blonde lifted his head slowly and stared up at Zack in fear. "How are we supposed to get past that?"

Zack smiled and pat him on the shoulder, a symbol of their friendship. "You don't need to worry about that," he explained. "I'll go out and distract it, then I want you to run out and fire like mad. Don't hit Kisa, just aim for the dragon."

Cloud reached out and grasped the back of his friend's shirt as the man went to launch himself from their wall of safety. "Zack," he whispered. "Don't get killed." He was the best friend he had even had, and his death would be his emotional ruin, especially after he had taken him on this trip to bring him closer to his dream again after his mistake.

An encouraging smile appeared on Zack's face, and then he was gone in a splash of water. A wall of fire exploded behind him, hiding him from view, and for a moment Cloud thought him dead. He sank back into the water and stared down at the rippling surface as his heart thumped hard in his chest. Tears crept in his eyes and he was at a complete loss of what to do, but a moment later he heard it.

"Cloud, now!"

His heart leapt in relief as he jumped up and ran through the water. Once he was on his feet he could see Zack diving his way all around the creature, slashing at his feet if he caught the opportunity but the dragon was fast and danced around him just as quickly, shooting out quick shots of flame when it could.

'He needs my help,' Cloud thought to himself, and suddenly his determination was a raging madness inside. He flung himself from the wall of rocks and ran along a thin strip of water to the right. There was a wave of water as he slid to a stop a few metres from the crest Kisa stood upon with the gem. She wore a look of twisted happiness as she watched her precious Dark Wings trying to crush Zack to the ground. Her grasp on the gem was gentle but sturdy as though she were holding her own heart.

For a moment, Cloud considered shooting the gem, but Zack had told him specifically to attack the dragon. Clenching his teeth at the lost opportunity he skirted around a pile of jagged rocks that lie in the centre of the room and watched the battle ahead of him.

Zack was becoming worn down as he flipped, ran and stabbed. His sword was a silver blur as it tore through the air and his face a twisted mask of concentration. Of course, the dragon was many times his size and seemed to be enjoying the fight. It snapped its jaws at Zack, forcing him to flip backwards. As soon as his feet reconnected with the ground, the SOLDIER jumped back into the air towards the dragon, his sword outstretched above his head. With a mighty yell he slammed the blade into the dragon's skull, but like all of the other attacks, it seemed to do very little but enrage the beast.

A moment later Cloud had joined the battle. He flung himself from the nearest rock and pointed his gun out like a spear over the dragon. Below Zack was keeping the creature too occupied to realise the second threat, so Cloud fired away. The bullets became embedded in the strong bone on its back, and with every jolt of pain that seared through its flesh it screamed out.

"Ha ha!" Zack cried out as Cloud landed beside the dragon and continued to shoot at it. "That's it! Wear it down!" he added as he lifted his sword to his forehead like he had seen his old friend Angeal do many times. As he thought back to the old training he used to receive from the man his heart rose and a smile spread across his face. Light erupted from the earth beneath his feet and rose around him like a tangled mess of rose stems.

As he fought the beast, a bright light in the corner of his eye caused Cloud to glance over at Zack and was shocked to see the glowing mass of light engulfing him.

"Zack!" he yelled out, thinking he had been attacked. Instantly the dragon slammed its head into him and sent the blonde youth flying through the air until he slammed into the rocky wall behind him. Stars clouded his vision and he fell to the ground with no feeling at all. All he could do was open his eyes a crack to see a blurry Zack disappearing into the light.

A crackling sound was all the SOLDIER could hear as he stood in the light that his memories brought around him, then slowly he began to return to reality. The tangle of veins of light had turned to glass and filled him with a new power he had missed sorely since becoming a first class SOLDIER.

"Time to shine," he said, his voice echoing in the little glass cocoon, and with a mighty swing he smashed the blade of his sword through the glassy surface. It shattered to the ground and Zack jumped out into the open again. He flew through the air so high he didn't doubt for a minute he could fly, so he soared towards the ceiling, then glanced down at Dark Wings to see it sniffing at Cloud, a motionless heap on the ground.

"Cloud!" Zack screamed, rage building up inside. "Damn it!" He flipped three times in the air, and then pointed the tip of his sword down before landing on the dragon's back. The blade shot through the skin and flesh before resting deep into the bone of the beast. Blood flowed from around the wound and trickled down the neck, but Zack abandoned the weapon and leapt straight down to Cloud.

"Cloud? Cloud!" he yelled as he shook his friend firmly by the arm. His heart was beating in his throat and his stomach twisted and turned inside, but finally the youth twitched and started to push himself up from the ground.

"What happened?" he asked groggily as he looked up into Zack's face. His expression of confusion changed to surprise as he studied the man.

A golden light hugged itself to the SOLDIER and left him shining like a star. He smiled back at Cloud and grasped him by the arm. Without a single word he ran with Cloud at his side to the front of the dragon effortlessly. His movements were so fast Cloud was almost dragged along the earth, but they stopped abruptly as Dark Wings prepared to launch an inferno at the pair.

Zack turned to Cloud and gave him a reassuring grin and a wink before raising his hand in the air as the flames burst forth from the dragon's mouth.

Cloud instinctively crouched down and held his hands out in front of himself for protection. He clenched his teeth and waited for the burn, waited for the pain… but there was nothing.

As he opened his eyes, a blue light blinded him and it took him a few moments to realise that a shield had appeared inches from Zack's hand. It hung in the air and spread out to protect them, and from the other side the dragon stumbled back and stared in disbelief.

"It's your turn Cloud," Zack said without turning to him. "Usually only SOLDIER's can harness the power from their memories and use it, but I believe in you." He cast the youth a quick nod before ending the shield and throwing himself forward into the air again in an amazing leap.

Cloud watched from below as Zack kicked the beast sharply in the nose as it raised its head to sink its teeth into him. He stretched his arms out and grasped the hilt of his sword, then flipped higher into the air, ripping it from the dragon's flesh. A second later he was gone behind a wall of mist that the dragon's nostrils created.

Cloud was alone.

He stared up into the dragon's beady eyes and savage grin that hinted on a personality much like its owner Kisa whom still watched from the crest.

'What am I supposed to do?' he thought as the dragon began to round on him. Flames flickered around its jaws with every step. Cloud took careful steps back, but tripped on a rock beneath him and fell to the ground. Immediately, the beast launched itself forward with its mouth wide open.

"Zack!" Cloud screamed out as death headed towards him, ready to clutch him in its claws, but his mind ran elsewhere. The name brought memories flooding in and his fear was forgotten as the face of his best friend Zack became the only thing he could see.

It was then when he found the strength inside. The words 'I believe in you' uttered by Zack filled him with a light that shone through, and before he could gain any sort of control he too became airborne.

With his gun in his hand, he fired into the dragon's face. It pulled back with a sharp jerk and started trying to paw at its face as blood dripped down from the new bullet holes. Cloud landed on the rocks and sped through beneath the belly of the beast. He fired up and waterfalls of crimson blood flooded the ground behind him. The energy inside became too much and he found himself flipping through the air until he was free of the dark shadow that covered him.

From the side he could see Zack racing forward with a gleeful expression on his face. "I knew you could do it!" he yelled out as Cloud began to finish off the enemy.

All it took was a final bullet that held all of the strength he had gained inside. It shone like a beacon in the darkness of the cavern and sailed through the air until it found its target. There was an explosion of light, then a deafening roar. Silence cloaked the area for a few moments, and then the final sound was a giant thud as the dragon fell to the ground in death.

The attack had left Cloud stunned. He stared at the sight of the dead beast and jerked to life as Zack stirred him with a hand on his shoulder. A moment later he was pulled into a friendly hug by the man, then released and punched playfully in the ribs.

"We did it! Yeah!" Zack carried on like a child and a smile was brought back on Cloud's face at the sight.

Behind them, a sorrowful scream rose through the air from Kisa. She slumped to her knees and stared at the pair, her teeth clenched. "Damn you!" she yelled out, but her vision was failing her and her consciousness became robbed as she fell forward onto her stomach.

With a simply sigh, Zack walked over to her and bent down to check her pulse. Cloud stumbled up behind him, feeling drained and tired from the fight, but relief became the new emotion as Zack revealed she was alive.

The gem beside her glowed in the dim light like fire, but Zack refused to pick it up. "Not after those crystals back there!" he exclaimed, taking a few steps back.

"Baby," Cloud muttered playfully as he scooped it up in his arms. "Fine, you carry Kisa, and I'll carry this," he decided as he looked towards his friend, then turned to the exit. "We should get going. I doubt Darrell will be to happy if I miss the first mission as a second class." His voice had turned grim.

Zack pat him on the shoulder yet again and beamed. "Don't worry, after this, I doubt he'll care," he pointed out before lifting the girl over his shoulder effortlessly. "Come on, let's go."


	11. Return of the Heroes

**Chapter Eleven: Return of the heroes**

As the pair had expected, Pailis was delighted to hear of their survival. He yelled out excitedly into the little receiver before Zack ended the connection with a laugh.

"Well he's certainly an excitable fellow, isn't he?"

Cloud took a few steps ahead and stood at the edge of a small cliff. "You only just noticed?" he called back over the howling wind.

The sound of crunching snow signified the trucks arrival as it found them upon the overhanging slab of rock an hour later. Trees lined the long slope of white snow below and Pailis was forced to drive the long way around. He waved apologetically out of the window to the pair above.

Zack growled in frustration and sat cross-legged on the snow. He buried his hand in the powdery mess and studied it absent mindedly as he thought about their feat back in the cave.

A red glow was cast across the pure white and forced the man to look up. Cloud had pulled the gemstone from the bag and held it in his hands, examining it. It seemed the battle was still on his mind too, for he seemed to be completely elsewhere as he stood completely still as though frozen to the spot.

"You know," Zack began to bring his friend back to reality. "That stone holds a lot of power. I don't doubt for a minute that it isn't worthless."

At his words, Cloud looked up in surprise, then glanced at the unconscious figure of Kisa who lay on the ground beside Zack. She was covered in blankets and her vitals were stable, yet her face was as pale as the snow itself and she had remained completely still since they had taken her from the cave. If her chest rising and falling with each breath was not visible, they would have thought her dead.

"But is it right to sell it?" Cloud asked guiltily. "I mean, look what it did to her…"

Zack shook his head. "No, it wasn't the gem. It was her own twisted mind that turned her like that. The gem was just what she held her emotions in." As he explained, be began to wonder if the stone could possess others like her dragon, and for a moment he wanted to hit it out of Cloud's hands and smash it to pieces with his sword, but to his relief the youth slid it back into their bag.

As though sensing Zack's thoughts, Cloud said, "We can hand it over to the Shinra scientists to make sure its safe when we get back." He glanced behind Zack to see if the van was coming, but it was still yet to come into view. He continued speaking. "I just hope she doesn't wake to demand it back."

"Well she's disarmed, so what could she so?"

The pair had taken her weapons and stored them in the bag as well. They planned to donate them to the Shinra weaponry considering they were such beautiful and powerful daggers.

"I guess your right," Cloud replied as he also sat. He pulled his knees to his chest and rested his chin on his knees. "I felt in a different mind back there when I lost it," he said after a few silent moments. He had wanted to get the experience off of his chest, though he knew Zack already knew what it felt like.

Zack nodded with an amused smile. "It's like that at first, but you get the hang of it. Of course, your only meant to be able to control power like that when you have developed better skills, and you don't usually receive them until you become a SOLDIER, but I knew you could do it Cloud."

Cloud felt his heart lift at the compliment. "Really?" he gasped. 'Maybe I really am cut out to be a SOLDIER,' he added in his thoughts.

"For sure," Zack said with a friendly wink. "I knew you were ready for it."

A loud beep forced Cloud and Zack to their feet in a hurry as alarm pierced their emotions. They whirled around to see the giant figure of the van, and a slightly less bulky Pailis standing at the side.

Leaning against the front door causally he waved at the pair invitingly. "Glad you made it!"

"We noticed," Zack said flatly, tapping his finger against the receiver. He turned to Cloud and nodded towards the truck. "Ready to go?"

Cloud didn't need convincing. He scooped up the bag as Zack and Pailis carried the unconscious girl to the back of the truck, and prepared for the long trip back to Midgar.

This time he was glad to be returning.

"It is a very interesting colour, that is for sure. Such a light red, almost deep pink."

Zack and Cloud were speechless as they stared at the changing gemstone. Halfway during the trip back in the truck Cloud had pulled it out again and they found that the red was beginning to change. Even as they stared now it was beginning to become a light purple.

With unmoving eyes, the scientist began to attack them with questions. "What colour was it when you found it? Did it burn like the crystals? How long was the girl, Kisa, holding it? Do you have any idea what conditions it went through?"

Zack stumbled back at the queries in surprise. "Whoa, whoa, slow down old man!"

Immediately, the scientists face went red with anger. "My name is Marce, and I am _not_ that old!"

Cloud began to answer to stop the scientists before he removed Zack's head with his bare hands. "All we know is that it was as cold as any normal stone, it was a deep red when we found it, Kisa has held since she was young, and it was somehow held her anger which she used to control her dragon, Dark Wings." He took a breath as he finally finished the torrent of answers that spilled out of him.

A few moments passed as Marce turned his attention back to the stone. "I see," he finally mumbled. Gently he lifted it higher to gaze into its depths and it changed to a darker purple, nearing a deep blue.

Zack and Cloud glanced at each other worriedly. Neither had any idea what it would do, and Zack moved forward to take it from the elderly man, thinking it dangerous.

Before the SOLDIER could reach him however, Marce yelped and placed the gem on the table before rushing away to a bookshelf filled with thick spined books.

A tense moment later he picked one from the highest shelf and rushed back over. Slamming it on the table, he threw open the pages in the centre and began to flip through wildly.

Zack stepped forward. "What's wro-"

"Shhh!" Marce snapped, silencing the SOLDIER with little regard to his position in Shinra. He continued to hunt through the pages, tossing them to the side hurriedly before he stabbed his finger onto one and ceased the maddened search.

"Here!" he yelled out, reading out loud in such a fast voice that neither Cloud nor Zack could understand. He mumbled the last few passages then shut the book with a sudden thud and looked over at Zack and Cloud who were waiting patiently.

"This," he said, stabbing a finger at the gem that was now a sea blue colour. "This is an ancient gem used to harness the power of emotions and pass it into another, giving the user complete control!" he yelled out, patting the gem as though it were a pet dog. "Do you know how valuable this is?"

Zack glanced at the guilty Cloud, then sighed and shook his head. "It's too dangerous."

Marce shook his head and jumped in front of the pair with joyful eyes. "No, no, the anger inside of her has passed. That is why it is changing colour." He motioned to the gem that was now a beautiful light blue. "This is the colour of her calmest emotions. It means she has forgotten the pain and hatred in her slumber. You freed her of it by defeating her controlled beast the dragon, and now she will wake with no memory of the happenings."

A wide smile spread across Zack's face, one he could not control. "So it's completely safe?"

Marce again nodded, but this time it was calmer. "Yes, absolutely, and it is worth at least two houses in this town."

Zack gasped and slapped Cloud on the shoulder. "There you go!"

Though the thought of having that much money tempted him, Cloud shook his head. "No Zack," he said quietly as he turned to him. "You helped me when you didn't have to. It was completely by choice, so you should have it."

The very gesture caused the man to almost collapse in his spot. "But Cloud, you don't even know if Darrell will rethink his punishment…"

As though on cue, another trainee entered. He glanced at the beautiful gem for a moment, awed at its beauty, and then he seemed to remember his errand. "Cloud," he said, glancing at the youth as he nodded. "Darrell would like to see you."

Cloud lowered his head as the nervousness planted itself inside of him again and looked back up at Zack. "It doesn't matter," he said with a smile as he turned towards the other man. "Besides," he said over his shoulder to the stunned SOLDIER. "I'm about to find out where fate leads me now."


	12. Closer to Happiness

**Chapter Twelve: Closer to a Dream**

The bare room came into sight again as Cloud was led towards the door. He could already see Darrell waiting for him in his swivelling chair. Dark eyes pierced into Cloud's as the youth entered and immediately stood as still as he could force himself. His stomach tied itself in knots as the grim face remained on Darrell's face, but he finally broke his gaze and tapped his fingers against the desk.

After a few moments he finally said, "Leave us."

Cloud jumped as the sound of hurried footsteps reminded him of the other man he had completely forgotten about.

Now it was just him and the leader whom would ultimately decide his fate as a SOLDIER.

With his heart pounding and hands shaking, Cloud waited patiently for the black haired man to speak again. He knew that he would either become praised for saving the girl and killing a threat to everyone in that world, especially Midgar, or he would land in more punishment for taking off and probably missing important information or missions.

His hope and faith begged for the praise, but the look on Darrell's face sunk his heart.

Finally, the leader spoke. "Strife, I lowered your ranking because I didn't think you could follow simple rules, and as you know all rules are golden in Shinra because it can put others at risk as well as yourself, and that is exactly what you did in that mission." His voice was cold and unwelcoming, but he dropped his gaze and his face beneath his black hair to hide his expression as he continued. "Another of our rules is to check your missions in Shinra every day incase one is missed in your ranking. Everyone counts out in battle, and I know you know that. You broke that rule after being officially dropped down to the second ranking."

Cloud bit his lip as tears welled up in his eyes. 'I'm being completely dropped from Shinra,' he thought dismally as sorrow drove it icy fist into his heart and soul.

For another long moment there was silence as both were left to their own thoughts, but as Darrell lifted his head, Cloud was shocked to see a broad smile on his face.

"Sorry Strife," he said with a laugh. "Thought I'd drag you along a bit. I wasn't pleased that you decided to just take off after being lowered to a second ranking, but what you did out there saved not only the girl's life, but all of the people of Midgar can avoid the wrath of the dragon, and who knows how much further it would have gotten."

Relief washed over Cloud and for a moment he felt as though he would faint. "T-thank you s-sir!" He stumbled on his words, still in shock, but his heart almost stopped completely at Darrell's next words.

"Strife, I'm bringing you up to the tenth ranking. One more and you're a third class SOLDIER."

"Darrell, wait! Hear me out!" Zack yelled out from outside of the room. He had not heard the decision and thought that Cloud was going to be punished.

Cloud whirled around and gripped Zack by the shoulders with a happy madness. "Zack, it's okay! I'm in the tenth ranking now!"

All Zack could do was stare at his overjoyed best friend, then turn his gaze to a nodding Darrell. The confused haze lifted after a second and he yelled out cheerfully.

"Cloud, you're nearly there now!" he yelled in his face.

"I know!" Cloud replied, twice as loud.

The celebrations moved from the busy Shinra building to the Slums. They ran into the church, Zack immediately scooping Aerith up into his arms and Cloud stumbling over the wooden boards beneath his feet, unable to believe what had happened.

Eventually they calmed down and spent the night in front of a small fire, explaining their adventure to Aerith, then discussing what lay ahead of the tenth ranking youth. It wasn't until late into the night they finally fell asleep, and the next morning held more surprises.

As the sun began to rise and bring light to the dark town, Zack and Cloud headed down to the Shinra building in high spirits. Cloud was confident that nothing bad would come to him that day after becoming of the tenth ranking the day before and was looking forward to his first mission.

Zack was as happy as he could be for his young best friend and was convinced that he would be fine in his new ranking. He would help him out as much as he could, but in the mean time he would miss having the youth fighting by his side on his missions.

As soon as the pair were through the entrance doors, two SOLDEIRS, a man and a woman, escorted them to the leaders in the briefing room. Neither Zack nor Cloud had any idea why and fear began to clutch at them, thinking that the reward for Cloud had been rethought.

They stepped into the wide circular room to see the group of leaders waiting for them patiently.

Darrell gave them a small smile as they entered, but the others seemed too deep in thought. Many didn't even realise as they entered.

Syria, one of the four female leaders was the first to notice them. She smiled kindly, an unusual expression on her often-strict face. "Here they are now."

All faces turned to the SOLDIER and trainee as they stepped further into the room. Cloud froze in the spot and laid a first against his chest for respect, but Zack seemed too used to visiting the leaders to remember. He turned to Cloud and as soon as he saw the gesture quickly mimicked.

Many of the leaders nodded in appreciation, then one of the younger men, Fox, began to speak. "We have spent much of the morning discussing the new ranking you have been assigned to, Cloud Strife, and have decided something else."

Immediately, the youth's heart plummeted. He stared around the table in dismay, but found it odd that many were smiling politely.

Zack did not seem to notice this. "What?" he almost yelled. "Why? He saved her life, and stopped the destruction of Mid-"

As soon as Darrell raised his hand for silence, Zack fell back a step and hushed.

"Zack, we did not say we had changed out minds," Darrell began, sitting back in his chair comfortably. "In fact, we have agreed that seeing as you helped Cloud reach the achievement in the mountains, you too should be rewarded."

Before either Cloud or Zack could say a word, another at the table spoke. "You are best friends, correct?" This time it was another of the women, Clare.

Both nodded without a second thought.

Clare simply nodded. "Then it is decided," he said to her fellow teachers, shrugging her shoulders simply. "It is the perfect reward."

Darrell nodded and looked back up at Zack and Cloud with a pleased smile. "Zack, along with being a SOLDIER, you will be the new leader for the tenth ranking trainees."

"Alright you lot, line up! Have you got your weapons yet? Armour on and tightened up? Ready for action?"

It was clear that Zack was enjoying his job as being the leader, giving orders to the future SOLDIERS that stood in front of him.

In the centre of the line was Cloud, standing proudly among his fellow novices. He smiled warmly at Zack as he walked towards him and pat him in the shoulder, a typical sign of his friendship.

"A good future lies ahead for you Cloud," he said with a bright smile that filled the young man with hope. "I'll be there with you every step of the way."

**The End**


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